Burial lowering device



Jan. 12, 1965 J. E. MEAD BURIAL LowERING DEVICE Il. n Illllllllllllllld.

INVENTOR. JAMES E. MEAD 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 2 Filed Jan. 17, 1962 ATTORNEY Jan. 12, 1965 Filed Jan. 17, 1962 J. E. MEAD BURIAL LOWERING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 5 FI G. 6

wl U 24 I I 3 l I 34 I y l 1 42 l' al l 42 4l l 42 l E @il ZJ HHH y. mln" X l INVENTOR.

JAMES E. MEA D ATTORNEY more particularly to such devices wherein shaft housings v low, are exemplary only of the invention, which shall be 35 i Y indicate like parts:y Y

FIG 1 S a PSFSPSCV@ VCW 0f a burial 10V/@fing de- 40 shaft housings ineach corner thereof, the sides of-said as gear means 23 fixed to the rotatable shafts 17, 1S yand l against rotation and to actuate thesame as desired in v 3,164,881 fatented Jan. 12, 1965 either direction as indicated by the arrows 19, Ztl (FIG. 1). Pursuant to the invention, slide track members 27, 28, which may be formed of upwardly opening channels (FIG. 4) are provided, and may be either interconnected 5 for spaced relation or otherwise disposed in spaced parallel relation to each vother and to the grave 29 and carrier members 30, 31, 32 and 33 are provided engaging the tracks for movement thereon. Said carrier members are provided with means such as walls 34 which define cupited ates Patent O W amasar BURLILLUWERHJG DEVKCE l .lames E. Mead, 23 Burgess Place, Wayne, NJ. Filed gan. 17, 1962, Ser. No. 166,832 2 Claims. (Cl. 227-32) This -invention relates to a burial lowering device and are provided for rotatably journalling shafts parallel 'relation therein. i' V10 shaped upwardly extending portions 35 (FIG. 6) onesaid In such devices, the shaft housings are secured together carrier members Sti-33 to removably receive the houswith the rotatable shafts dening therewith a paralleloings 173-16.

gram; the assembly is usually positionedin registry with or parallel straddling relation to the grave prior to the burla-1,. Ceremony, the coffin being then positioned over 15 ple, the vault has been positioned in the grave and the straps secured to the rotatable shafts of the prelocated cofin lowered thereinto (36, FIG. 4). The device of parallelogram and then by lever or other means on the this invention may conveniently be used to move the vault shaft housings, a mechanism in the housings is triggered `cover 37 (FIG. 1) from a position adjacent the grave 29 to lower the coin into the grave.

Where burial vaults `are provided, the very heavy vault 20 tuating the shafts 17, 13 as by the control means 25, 26, covers have customarily been maneuvered by means of the shafts may be rotated so that the straps 21, 22 (previa crane or other mechanism over and then onto the vault ously secured to the vault cover 37 as through the brackafter the coinhas been lowered thereinto with the result` ets 38 engaging the handles 39 thereof) the vault cover 37 that the procedure was costly yand unsatisfactory, awkward (previously thus picked up from its position in spaced The device may be used in connection with the grave and out of keeping with the dignity of the burial arrange- 25 relation (FIG. 1) to the graveV and moved to registry ments. n

The present invention is designed to obviate the objectionable use of derricks orother extraneous hoisting the `form 0f wheels 41 (FIG. 6) mounted on bearings 42 and lowering mechanisms for burial purposes, the inven-V (FlG. 5) depending from the carrier members Sti-33, tion providing IIOVCL` dignified and eicient means for 30 although it is contemplated that other slidable or rollable achieving the ends above mentionedA in a rapid, far less interengaging means may be used pursuant to the cumbersome and in a more convenient fashion. invention,

' The daWngS, uustfiflg DTORdUfS` and EVCCS USC- Having thus described my invention, what I claim as ful in carrying out the invention, and the description benew and desired to secure by Letters Patent is:

therewith) is lowered onto the vault 36 (FIG. 3)l The deemed to cover all lother devices and procedures coming within the scope and purview of the appended claims. In the drawings, wherein similar reference characters members to be positioned in parallel straddling relation to a grave, two carriermembers engaging each of said of the carrier members, a rectangular lowering unit with vice embodying my invention, shown positioned in alignunit consisting of four shafts which are supported by ment with a grave into which a burial vault cover is to saidV housings, two of said shafts -being` rotatably jourbe lowered, Pursuant t0 the invention, nalled Within their corresponding shaft housings and ex- FIG- 2 S 2111 end eleVaOHal View thereof, faken al tending across the space between said tracks, strap means line 2 2-0f FIG 4 e i Y 45 ,attached to and extending between said rotatable vshafts FIG- 3 is a Side elevational View thereof taken at and adapted to be wound thereon, means for rotating said line 3 3 0f FIG- 4, hafts said shaft housin s bein removably carried in FIG. 4 is the top plan View thereof, taken at line 4-4 s g g of FIG. 1, y

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary elevational View thereof, 50 taken at line 5-5 of FIG. l, and

FIG. 6 is an end elevational view taken at-line `6 6 of FIG. 5. ,l

`-As shown in the drawings, the device of this invention is-adapted to utilize' a parallelogram unit 10 (FG. 1) 55 including shafts 11 and 12 rigidly secured to the shaft housings 13-16 and the shafts 17 and 18 rotatably journalled in said housings. The shaft housings 13-16 are provided with any suitable means, such as are well known in this art and described in prior patents, for effecting 60 ing Va U-shaped channel providing two spaced contact surfaces, and said carrier members each being provided with two pairs of spaced rollers each pair engaged with one of said spaced contact surfacesof said channel.

2. A burial device as defined in claim 1, wherein each of said rollers is peripherally grooved for engagement with said contact surfaces.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 605,555 6/98 Moore et al. i 254-136 Y rotation of the shafts 17, 18 clockwise and counterclock- 1,675,362 7/28 Ledyard et al. 254--136 wise as indicated by the arrows 19, Ztl (FIG. l) forwind- 2,039,464 5 36 Troup 254-136 ing or unwinding of straps 21, 22 on said shafts. 2,163,173 6/ 3 9 Haase 27-32 Any suitable means are provided in the shaft housings v 2,201,057- 5/40 Smetana. EL3-161er achieving the said rotation of the shafts, such 65 2,307,420 1/43 lMead 27-,32

2,526,307 10/50 Vardo. driven by meshing gear means 24 driven by mechanisms within the shaft housings 13-16, as is well known to Athose skilled in the art. Suitable control means 25, 26 (FIG. 70 1) are provided in the housings to lock the shafts 17, 18

2,870,519 1/597- Yeazei A27--32 RICHARD A. GAUDET, Primary Examiner.

M. HENSON WOOD, JR., Examiner.

29 (FIG. 2) and registered therewith. VWherefor exarn-V to a position over the same (FiG. 3) and then, by accarrier members Sti-33 may be provided with rollers inV l. A burial lowering device comprising, two track tracks for movement thereon, recesses formed in the topsrv said carrier recesses, said track members each comprise" 

1. A BURIAL LOWERING DEVICE COMPRISING, TWO TRACK MEMBERS TO BE POSITIONED IN PARALLEL STRADDLING RELATION TO A GRAVE, TWO CARRIER MEMBERS ENGAGING EACH OF SAID TRACKS FOR MOVEMENT THEREON, RECESSES FORMED IN THE TOPS OF THE CARRIER MEMBERS, A RECTANGULAR LOWERING UNIT WITH SHAFT HOUSINGS IN EACH CORNER THEREOF, THE SIDES OF SAID UNIT CONSISTING OF FOUR SHAFTS WHICH ARE SUPPORTED BY SAID HOUSINGS, TWO OF SAID SHAFTS BEING ROTATABLY JOURNALLED WITHIN THEIR CORRESPONDING SHAFT HOUSINGS AND EXTENDING ACROSS THE SPACE BETWEEN SAID TRACKS, STRAP MEANS ATTACHED TO AND EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID ROTATABLE SHAFTS AND ADAPTED TO BE WOUND THEREON, MEANS FOR ROTATING SAID SHAFTS, SAID SHAFT HOUSINGS BEING REMOVABLY CARRIED IN SAID CARRIER RECESSES, SAID TRACK MEMBERS EACH COMPRISING A U-SHAPED CHANNEL PROVIDING TWO SPACED CONTACT SURFACES, AND SAID CARRIER MEMBERS EACH BEING PROVIDED WITH TWO PAIRS OF SPACED ROLLERS EACH PAIR ENGAGED WITH ONE OF SAID SPACED CONTACT SURFACES OF SAID CHANNEL. 